40% Better - Engineering Leadership
Every week, we invite 1 expert on employee engagement and deep-dive into unlocking previously unheard of performance levels in teams and leaders. 40 Percent Betterhttps://40pb.com
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Why Human Leadership Still Wins in the Age of AI I Joshua Gould
Welcome to 40 Percent Better with Bill Lennan featuring Joshua Gould, Group CEO @ thebigword In this episode, Bill Lennan and Joshua Gould dive into leadership, AI, business growth, technology transformation, and what it really takes to build resilient teams in a rapidly changing world. Joshua shares his journey of growing thebigword from a $6 million business into a company generating over $100 million in revenue. The conversation explores AI evolution, leadership principles, communication skills, sales mindset, startup challenges, hiring resilient people, and how technology can strengthen human potential instead of replacing it. Topics covered: • AI and leadership in modern business • Building resilient teams • Scalin...
Leadership, Power, and Real Growth at Work I Charley Wedeen-Zittle
In this episode of 40 Percent Better, Bill Lennan sits down with Charley Wedeen-Zittle, Sr. Value Engineer at Box, for a raw and thoughtful conversation about leadership, power dynamics, and what actually makes people thrive at work. Charley shares how her leadership journey began early in life, shaped by a strong sense of responsibility and a belief that if you care, you step up. From student leadership to navigating complex workplace environments, she reflects on lessons learned the hard way, including balancing efficiency with empathy and learning how to lead with people, not over them. This conversation goes deep into what...
Leadership Without a Title in Tech I Juan Boyce
Step inside a real-world tech leadership journey in this episode of 40 Percent Better with Bill Lennan and guest Juan Boyce, Chief Technology Officer, Principal Software Engineer at Boyce Tech. Juan shares how he got started in software engineering at startups, where leadership often shows up before the title does. He talks about automating his early work, earning recognition from leadership, and learning how to influence teams through action rather than authority. The conversation explores the difference between startup environments and large companies, why hands-on problem solving matters, and how early exposure to responsibility can shape stronger engineers and leaders. Juan...
Mistakes, psychological safety, and leadership clarity | Rob Zuber
Welcome to the 40% Better podcast with your host, Bill Lennan!<br /><br />In this episode, we sit down with Rob Zuber to explore his candid journey into leadership—from the trial by fire of the startup world to managing complexity in scaling organizations. This conversation is a masterclass in how to build a high-performing culture by putting people first.<br /><br />Rob dives deep into the non-negotiables of modern leadership, emphasizing why psychological safety isn't just a buzzword, but the foundation for true innovation and honest feedback. We discuss the critical role of clarity in leadership, how to cultivate intrinsic mo...
Episode - AI Doesn't Replace Your Thinking It Amplifies It Jimi Li
What does it actually take to get real business value from AI? Jimi Li, CTO at ALM Media, has spent the last three years running AI initiatives inside a company that just went through a successful private equity exit — and he's got the framework to prove what works. From his early days in GE's global leadership program to building L'Oreal's e-commerce platform at scale, Jimi's career has always centred on one question: how does the work you're doing connect to business impact? That same lens is exactly how he approaches AI today.<br />In this episode, Jimi breaks down the th...
Jiu Jitsu Changed My Life and Leadership | Jeremy Hass
In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, Jeremy Hass shares powerful insights from his leadership journey, shaped by his experiences in the military, startups, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.<br /><br />Jeremy dives into the importance of resilience, risk-taking, and personal growth, explaining how embracing challenges can lead to long-term success in both life and business. He also discusses how Brazilian Jiu Jitsu transformed his mindset, teaching discipline, adaptability, and emotional resilience.<br />The conversation explores how leaders can build strong teams, communicate effectively, and develop future leaders within their organizations. Jeremy also shares practical advice for navigating failure, pursuing meaningful...
The Risk Mindset That Changes Everything | Tamara Laine
In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, Tamara Laine shares her unconventional leadership journey from teaching dance at a young age to working in documentaries, journalism, and eventually leading in the tech world.<br /><br />Tamara breaks down how taking risks, embracing failure, and building resilience shaped her career and leadership style. She explains why confidence is built through repetition, how communication is a learned skill, and why breaking big goals into micro tasks is essential for success.<br />The conversation also explores leadership in startups, building effective systems, and how great leaders empower their teams while staying adaptable. Tamara...
The Art of Managing Diverse Personalities | Oscar Hedaya
Serial entrepreneur Oscar Hedaya, founder of SPACE and The Space Safe, joins Bill Lennan on the 40% Better podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on what real leadership looks like across industries. Oscar's career has taken him from visual merchandising in New York to touch-screen gloves, electric mobility, and now the world's first smart safe with a built-in camera, touchscreen, tamper sensors, and app connectivity. Along the way, he's built and led teams of 25+ people across hardware, software, firmware, and design, and he shares the hard-won lessons that came from managing very different personalities under one roof. The conversation digs into the...
Why Belonging Is a Performance Metric, Not a Feeling | with Andrea D. Carter
<br />Most organizations measure engagement. But engagement only tells you who's busy, not who's going to stay. Andrea D. Carter, organizational scientist and creator of the Belonging First methodology, joins the 40% Better podcast to share why belonging is measurable performance infrastructure and what technical leaders need to build it on purpose. Andrea is CEO and Founder of Andrea Carter Consulting and creator of the Belonging First Methodology.<br />Andrea developed the first scientifically validated framework for measuring workplace belonging, starting with a two-year study across 3,500+ employees in Canada's mining sector. The findings were clear: belonging gaps aren't primarily a diversity...
Why Employee Loyalty Has Nothing to Do With Salary | Ian Watts
In two decades of coaching leaders across startups to multi-billion dollar corporations, Ian Watts discovered that companies lose talented people not because of compensation, but because they treat employees like replaceable widgets instead of human beings with aspirations beyond their job description. As founder of Employee Success Company, Ian developed the ACTS Method after reverse-engineering what allowed him to build teams with minimal turnover across 60 locations nationwide, recruiting over 400 loyal team members who knew exactly how much he cared about their personal success.<br />Ian shares why the best leaders work themselves out of a job by making themselves unnecessary...
